In his post-game news conference, Pelini referred to the pass interference as a “chickens**t” call. “Excuse my language on that, but I had never seen anything like that before,” he said. “I’ve done a lot worse than that. I saw Kirk Ferentz on the other side acting a lot worse than that.

“I didn’t see a flag come out on him. The bottom line is they knew they blew the call.”

Ferentz is Iowa’s head coach. He wasn’t wearing a ballcap to swing.

Pelini was also indignant with reporters, who wanted to know if he thought he had made a “case” for keeping his job. “I don’t coach to make a case,” he said.

“Let’s call a spade a spade. If they want to fire me, go ahead.”

They are Chancellor Harvey Perlman and Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst, who issued a statement the next morning that said, in part: “We very much look forward to our upcoming bowl game and Coach Pelini continuing to lead our program in the future.”

Eichorst reiterated in the statement what he had said previously, that his “approach has always been to not comment publicly about our coaches until their full seasons are complete.”

He commented in this case because of “the volume of unfounded speculation and conjecture.”

Assumptions, in other words.

Later the next day, Pelini released a statement thanking Eichorst and the administration for their support and apologizing for his show of frustration with game officials and media.

Which brings us to the assumption Pelini believed the game would be his last.

He never said that, at least not on the record. We don’t know what he might have said to those in whom he confides. In any case, maybe his words and actions on the day after Thanksgiving were simply a reflection of his passion. It’s not as if he had never talked and acted that way before.

He’s nothing if not intensely competitive, sometimes to a point at which he might not remember exactly what he said or did. How else to explain the ballcap-waving incident?

To assume Pelini’s behavior was a result of his believing the Iowa game would be his last seems to call into question his principles. He has shown he’s as principled as he is passionate about what he does. He’s being paid well to coach. Why would that not be his focus?

Likewise, Eichorst should be commended for his consistency. His evaluation of Pelini is on-going, taking into account the entire season, not one game.

Presumably, his checklist includes sideline and post-game behavior as well as wins and losses. And, no doubt, it also includes Pelini’s relationship with his players.

“He’s literally changed my life,” said junior wide receiver Kenny Bell. “I would play for Bo Pelini against Satan himself and a team of demons at the gates of the underworld. I love Coach Pelini, and I can say that with confidence for everybody in that locker room.”

Such player comments, unsolicited, are common enough.

Many assumptions can be made about this. But they’re only assumptions.

On Monday, the Big Ten issued a public reprimand of Pelini for “violating the Big Ten Sportsmanship Policy” and fined Nebraska $10,000. That was a fact.